The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has finally arrested Senator for Imo West, Rochas Okorocha after a prolonged siege on his home in the Maitama area of Abuja.
Armed EFCC officials were said to have whisked the former Imo governor away at 6:48pm on Tuesday after forcibly gaining entrance into his living room.
In a Facebook Live video that went viral, Okorocha had said that EFCC officials were at his home “without warrant” and broke down his bulletproof doors.
“The EFCC operatives are here with some gunmen and they have broken all my bulletproof doors. This may be my last appearance because I don’t know what they want to do.”
Watch video:
Earlier, the anti-graft agency confirmed that its officials were at the residence of the senator to effect his arrest.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said in a Tuesday statement stated that the move to arrest the former governor followed his refusal to honour EFCC’s invitations after jumping the administrative bail earlier granted him.
Uwujaren added that the EFCC had on Jan. 24 filed a 17-count criminal charge bordering on diversion of public funds and property to the tune of N2.9 billion against Okorocha.
He said the Commission, after several attempts, could not arraign the former Imo governor before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The EFCC spokesman said Okorocha’s arraignment was stalled twice following his absence, occasioned by his evasion of service of court processes.
He said that Justice Ekwo had on the last adjourned date, March 28 warned that it was “the last adjournment to be granted in the matter’’.
Uwujaren stressed that the Commission was left with no option in the circumstance than to arrest the former governor to face trial.
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